Phlox plant named ‘Dophlospripi’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Phlox plant named ‘Dophlospripi’, characterized by its outwardly spreading to creeping and mounding plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely flowering habit; large purplish red-colored flowers with deep purplish red-colored centers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Phlox subulata.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DOPHLOSPRIPI’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY INVENTOR & APPLICANT/ASSIGNEE

An European Community Plant Breeder's Rights application for the instant plant was filed by the Applicant/Assignee, Dümmen Group B.V. of De Lier, The Netherlands on Aug. 12, 2020, application number 2020/1898. Foreign priority is not claimed to this application.

The Inventor and Applicant/Assignee assert that no publications nor advertisements relating to sales, offers for sale or public distribution occurred more than one year prior to the effective filing date of this application. Any information about the claimed plant would have been obtained from a direct or indirect disclosure from the Inventor and/or Applicant/Assignee. Inventor and Applicant/Assignee claim a prior art exemption under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) for disclosure and/or sales prior to the filing date but less than one year prior to the effective filing date.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Phlox plant, botanically known as Phlox subulata and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Dophlospripi’.

The new Phlox plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to create new freely-flowering Phlox plants with large attractive flowers.

The new Phlox plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in April, 2010 in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands, of an unnamed proprietary selection of Phlox subulata, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unnamed proprietary selection of Phlox subulata, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Phlox plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands in April, 2011.

Asexual reproduction of the new Phlox plant by vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands since June, 2011 has shown that the unique features of this new Phlox plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Phlox have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Dophlospripi’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Dophlospripi’ as a new and distinct Phlox plant:

-   -   1. Outwardly spreading to creeping and mounding plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Large purplish red-colored flowers with deep purplish         red-colored centers.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Phlox differ primarily from plants of the parent selections in plant and flowering habit as plants of the new Phlox are more uniform and more freely flowering than plants of the parent selections.

Plants of the new Phlox can be compared to plants of Phlox subulata ‘Emerald Cushion Blue’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Phlox and ‘Emerald Cushion Blue’ differ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Phlox are not as vigorous as plants of         ‘Emerald Cushion Blue’.     -   2. Plants of the new Phlox and ‘Emerald Cushion Blue’ differ in         flower color as plants of the new Phlox have purplish         red-colored flowers with deep purplish red-colored centers         whereas plants of ‘Emerald Cushion Blue’ have light blue-colored         flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Phlox plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Phlox plant. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of typical flowering plant of ‘Dophlospripi’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the late winter and early spring in 17-cm containers initially in a glass-covered greenhouse and finished in an outdoor nursery in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial Phloxproduction. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 21° C. and night temperatures averaged 15° C. Plants were pinched one time two weeks after planting rooted young plants and plants were 43 weeks old when the photograph and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, Second Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Phlox subulata ‘Dophlospripi’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Phlox subulata, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Phlox subulata, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 16 days at             temperatures about 26° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About three weeks at             temperatures about 23° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 24 days             at temperatures about 23° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at temperatures about 18° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; typically             white to light yellow in color, actual color of the roots is             dependent on substrate composition, water quality,             fertilizer type and formulation, substrate temperature and             physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial typically grown             as a container and garden plant; outwardly spreading to             creeping and mounding plant habit; vigorous growth habit and             relatively slow growth rate.         -   Plant height.—About 16 cm.         -   Plant width (spread).—About 35 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Branching habit: Freely branching habit             with numerous primary and secondary lateral branches             developing per plant. Length: About 20 cm. Internode length:             About 5 mm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Outwardly spreading to             horizontal. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; glossy.             Color, developing: Close to 172A. Color, developed: Close to             145C; with development, close to 199D. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, decussate; simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 1.4 cm.         -   Width.—About 2 mm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acuminate.         -   Base.—Cuneate.         -   Margin.—Entire, slightly ciliate.         -   Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth,             glabrous; glossy.         -   Venation pattern.—Hyphodromous.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             143A. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 143A;             venation, close to 143A. Fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: Close to 144A; venation, close to 144A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single rotate and             salverform flowers arranged in terminal and lateral             panicles; flowers face mostly upright to outwardly depending             on position on inflorescence; freely flowering habit with             about three open flowers per inflorescence and about 270             flowers developing per plant during the flowering season.         -   Fragrance.—Not detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about 35             weeks after planting; plants flower in April and May in the             garden in The Netherlands; flowers persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Height: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Shape: Elliptical. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous;             matte. Color: Close to 67C.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 6 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 4 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 2.6 cm to 2.9 cm.         -   Flower depth.—About 1.3 cm.         -   Flower throat diameter.—About 2 mm.         -   Flower tube length.—About 7 mm.         -   Flower diameter, proximally.—About 2 mm.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single             whorl; petals fused at the base into a narrow tube. Lobe             length: About 1.3 cm. Lobe width: About 1 cm. Lobe shape:             Obovate. Lobe apex: Obtuse. Lobe margin: Entire; slightly             undulate. Lobe texture and luster, upper surface: Smooth,             glabrous; matte. Lobe texture and luster, lower surface:             Smooth, glabrous; matte. Throat texture and luster: Smooth,             glabrous; matte. Tube texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous;             matte. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 67B;             towards the throat, close to 77A. When opening, lower             surface: Close to 68C. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to             67B; towards the throat, close to 61A; venation, close to             67B; color does not change with development. Fully opened,             lower surface: Close to 68B; venation, close to 68B; color             does not change with development. Throat: Close to 70A;             venation, close to 70A. Tube: Close to 70A; venation, close             to 70A.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single             whorl, fused towards the base; calyx, tubular in shape.             Length: About 8 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape: Narrowly             deltoid, subulate. Apex: Acuminate. Margin: Entire. Texture             and luster, upper surface: Pubescent; semi-glossy. Texture             and luster, lower surface: Pubescent; glossy. Color: When             opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 143A. Fully             opened, upper surface: Close to 147A. Fully opened, lower             surface: Close to 144A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 7 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong. Aspect: About 45° from lateral             branch axis. Texture and luster: Pubescent; glossy. Color:             Close to 145B.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Strength: Flexible. Aspect: About 10° to 30° from peduncle             axis. Texture and luster: Pubescent; glossy. Color: Close to             144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically             five. Filament length: About 0.9 mm. Filament color: Close             to 145C. Anther size: About 1 mm by 0.5 mm. Anther shape:             Elliptical. Anther color: Close to 17A. Pollen amount:             Abundant. Pollen color: Close to 17A. Pistils: Quantity per             flower: One. Pistil length: About 7 mm. Stigma diameter:             About 1 mm. Stigma shape: Cleft, three-parted. Stigma color:             Close to 150C. Style length: About 4 mm. Style color: Close             to 150D. Ovary color: Close to 140A.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit development have             not been observed on plants of the new Phlox. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Phlox have been observed to     have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind,     temperatures ranging from −35° C. to 35° C. and to be suitable for     USDA Hardiness Zone 3. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Phlox have     not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Phlox plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Phlox plant named ‘Dophlospripi’ as illustrated and described. 